Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than 5,000 detainees convicted of crimes or misdemeanors on the occasion of a Shiite holiday, a statement published on his website said on Saturday.
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Ayatollah Khamenei "agreed to grant a pardon or a commutation of sentences to 5,156 convicts," the text indicated without further details.
This measure was taken on the occasion of the anniversary of the birth of Imam Réza, one of the holiest figures of Twelver Shiism, the state religion in Iran since the 16th century.
Khamenei grants several collective pardons each year on the occasion of the greatest religious or national holidays, based on the recommendations of the head of the Judicial Authority.
